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Friday, December 9, 2016

The casual Caribbean-themed chain Bahama Breeze now offers a gluten-sensitive menu at all locations. Area outlets are located in Newark (500 Center Blvd., 302-266-7923), Princeton (3535 Rt. 1 S., 609-799-3808), Cherry Hill (2000 Rt. 38, 856-317-8317) and King of Prussia (320 Goddard Blvd., 610-491-9822). Hat tip to reader Alexis, who blogs at Alexis's Gluten Free Adventures and posted a review of her recent meal at a Bahama Breeze restaurant in the Pittsburgh area.

The owner of Ambler's Mi Lah Vegetarian (40 W. Skippack Pike, 215-646-1808) has opened an outpost in Queen Village (615 S. 3rd St., 215-309-5135) serving vegan tapas and dim sum. As with the main location, the dinner and brunch menus at the new spot note which items can be made gluten free.

The Taco Truck in Princeton (301 N. Harrison St., 609-580-1384) lists gluten-free items on its menu, though take note that a shared fryer is used for the chips and fried plantains. The mini-chain's first Pennsylvania location is opening at the King of Prussia Mall (350 Mall Blvd.) within the next month or so.

Philly.com reports that the gluten-free-friendly French-Mexican BYOB Paloma, located in South Philly's Bella Vista neighborhood (763 S. 8th St., 215-928-9500), is closing after a 17-year run on December 22.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is hosting a gluten-free cookie exchange and kids' support group meeting at its Voorhees facility (1012 Laurel Oak Rd.) on Sun., December 18 from noon to 2 p.m. RSVP via email with the number of attendees (parents and children) and children's ages.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

With the Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,500 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

With Christmas and Hanukkah approaching, it might seem premature to talk about Passover, which doesn't occur in 2017 until mid-April. However, new gluten-free products announced earlier this month at the annual Kosherfest food show in northern New Jersey merit a look ahead.

Kedem Foods announced several new gluten-free products that will be widely available for the Passover holiday next year, including additions to its all-natural, certified-gluten-free Yehuda matzos. New to the matzo line are Egg and Everything varieties. The matzos will be available year round after the holiday.

Under its Gefen label, Kedem will debut gluten-free pancake/waffle batter and crepe batter. The ready-made mixes are stored frozen, then thawed for use on the griddle or waffle iron. Also added to the Gefen line are gluten-free ready-to-bake crusts that come in a 3-inch size for tarts and a larger 9-inch size for pies. These items will be available year round. Gefen's other major addition for Passover is fresh (heat-and-serve) pasta: gnocchi and fusilli.

Another Kedem line, Haddar, will offer gluten-free crostini. The mini toasts will be available in three flavors: Lightly Salted, Zesty Onion and Hot Barbeque. Another Passover-only item from Haddar is gluten-free biscotti. The cookies will come in Cappuccino Crunch, Choco Chip and Chocolate Fudge.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Jay's Steak & Hoagie Joint has reopened at its new location in Penndel (1205 Highland Ave., 215-741-6555), still offering gluten-free cheese steaks, hoagies, wings, fries and more. A section of the new kitchen is dedicated for gluten-free preparation and contains a separate fryer, grill, sandwich station and oven.

MilkHouse recently opened its third Center City Philadelphia location, this one at 30th Street Station (2995 Market St, 215-222-1393). As with the other spots, there is a separate press used to make gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches and only potatoes go in the fryer.

Local veggie burger purveyor Luhv Foods has opened a vegan bistro in Hatboro (101 N. York Rd., 215-444-9002). The entire menu of burgers, salads and soups, save traditional burger buns (though there are gluten-free buns available), is gluten free.

Southern-influenced Rex 1516 in Philadelphia (1516 South St., 267-319-1366) has updated its gluten-free menu, which features spare ribs, burgers and fish. Bear in mind that the fries and wings are not prepared in a dedicated fryer. You can read my review of Rex 1516 here.

Brand new from Tate's Bake Shop are gluten-free brownie thins - a cross between the bakery's delicious cookies and brownies. Not yet available in stores, the product can be purchased at the company's online store. Promo code NOV10, which expires today, gets you 10% off plus free shipping; from November 19-24, code NOV21 is good for free shipping.

Have a great weekend and wonderful Thanksgiving!

- Michael

With the Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,500 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The rocky mountains of Golden, Colorado might be the home of Coors, but it's also where Holidaily Brewing Company is making a name for itself, Holidaily is a dedicated gluten-free brewery founded by Karen Hertz, a cancer survivor who was given a treatment plan that included being on a lifelong gluten-free diet. As a beer lover, she wanted a better tasting gluten-free brew. After years of research, she launched Holidaily.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Holidaily brews a Black India Pale Ale and an Imperial Stout, as many gluten free breweries don't venture far from the basics. Here's a recap of some of the brewery's styles.

(Photo credit: Holidaily Brewing/Facebook)

Favorite Blonde (5% ABV): Using millet and buckwheat and just the right amount of hops, Holidaily has brewed a blonde ale (its flagship beer) that would surprise many traditional beer drinkers by the fact that it's gluten free. Its light body and mellow hoppy taste make this an easy drinking, delightful beer. With a smooth beer like this, you can pair this with just about anything, or enjoy on its own.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Ted's Montana Grill opens its first Delaware location in Newark on November 14 at the new Christiana Fashion Center (3194 Fashion Center Blvd.). The steakhouse chain offers guests a gluten-free menu that includes burgers with buns, as well as salads, entrees and sides. Ted's other area outpost is in Warrington, Pennsylvania.

In Magnolia, Woodstone Tavern (510 S. White Horse Pike, 856-435-4600) has just opened, with gluten-free items such as grilled wings, glazed shrimp and filet mignon skewers noted on the menu.

The majority of the menu at Conshohocken's Coyote Crossing (800 Spring Mill Ave., 610-825-3000) is gluten free, from salads and enchiladas to fish and other entrees. However, there is no dedicated gluten-free fryer.

The gluten-free-friendly Big Bites BBQ in Quakertown has closed.

Wegmans has introduced a line of gluten-free pizzas under its store label, priced at $7.49 each. Based on my review of the ingredients, my educated guess is that the pizzas are made for Wegmans by Chef Anthony Russo's. I wrote about the Russo's gluten-free pizzas back in 2013, when I discovered them at the Expo East gourmet food show.

There are many gluten-free-related events this month, including an expo at the Plymouth Meeting Mall on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get the details on that and the other events in my post from last Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael

With the Gluten Free Philly app for iOS and Android devices, find more than 1,500 area gluten-free-friendly businesses on the go, search by cuisine or neighborhood, make reservations and more!